Some of the most astonishing documentary work ever to come out of Canada has been created by veteran filmmaker Allan King. Now, 22 of his incredible films are available on a massive 16-DVD set.

The breadth of King’s work is impressive. His cinema verité examinations of youth are often devastating, including Come on Children, a 1973 precursor to reality TV experiments, in which five young men and five young women are invited to a farm for several weeks, where they are observed by King’s cameras. These disaffected, alienated people discuss their general disdain for their elders and the world around them; one youth announces that he’s sick of the camera, actually physically shutting it down while cursing the cameraman.

Warrendale (1967) is arguably King’s masterpiece, showing us the tortured lives of some children at a home for the emotionally disturbed. If the kids seemed messed up, the treatments they’re offered seem even worse, including “holding,” in which a child having a tantrum is effectively pinned down by a health-care provider until they calm down. Equally contentious was King’s 1969 entry, A Married Couple, in which he revealed a couple as their bond suffered through some very serious bumps.

Amid these better known films are older, rarely seen gems, including Skidrow (1956), an illuminating (and terrifically sad) glimpse into the lives of indigent men who suffer from alcoholism in Vancouver. It’s a telling look back, given that much of Vancouver’s homeless population now suffers from crack or heroin addiction. This collection is a crucial addition to any serious film buff’s DVD library. King’s films are often difficult to watch, but they are equally revelatory.

On a lighter note, The Sarah Silverman Program: Season One is now out on DVD. Bringing her wildly narcissistic persona to her own sitcom, Silverman is flat-out hilarious. I began watching an episode and couldn’t stop, watching all six in one sitting. This woman is brilliant; highlights include Sarah adopting a homeless person, deciding she’s actually a lesbian and telling everyone she has AIDS (when she doesn’t) -MATTHEW HAYS